We can carry out a 4-wheel alignment check on your vehicle for just £45.00. This gives you a colour printout of the front and rear readings of the tracking, caster & camber. Each adjustment is charged at £10 (not including seized components)
In its most basic form, a wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are perpendicular to the ground and parallel to each other. The purpose of these adjustments is maximum tire life and a vehicle that tracks straight and true when driving along a straight and level road.
The vehicle’s toe is the most critical alignment settings that affect tyre wear. A slight misalignment of the toe will result in a reduction in tyre life. For minimum tyre wear and power loss, the wheels of a vehicle should be pointing straight ahead. So why do most vehicles have their front wheels toe-in? This is to ensure directional stability
1. Increase toe in can reduce oversteer, steady the car and enhance high-speed stability
2. Increase toe out will reduce understeer and free up the car
Consequences of camber misalignment:
1. Premature tyre wear on one side of the thread
2. Pulling the problem to the more positive camber
Reasons for camber misalignment:
1. Vehicle involved in accident
2. Springs sag causing a change in ride height
3. Ball joints or other attached parts are worn or defective
The camber on most front wheel drive vehicles is not adjustable. Worn-out parts will need to be replaced in order to adjust the camber back to its original manufacturer settings.
Consequences of caster misalignment:
1. Problems in straight line tracking, vehicle will pull to the less positive caster
2. Poor returnability of the steering wheel when it spins back to the straight-ahead position
3. A caster too positive will result in a heavy steering
4. A caster too negative will provide lighter steering but the vehicle will wander and have difficulties keeping in a straight line
Do you know: Caster has no effect on tire wear? Caster is also not adjustable for most front wheel drive vehicles. Parts will need to be replaced in order to achieve manufacturer settings.
Wheel alignment is very important to ensure your tyres do not wear prematurely. A proper alignment also means less wear and tear on steering/suspension components. When a vehicle's alignment is out of manufacturer-recommended specification, it can cause the vehicle to drift/float or pull in different directions. This can prove to be unsafe for you and the vehicle. Improper wheel alignment creates excessive friction on the road surface leading to uneven tire wear and unnecessary stress on steering/suspension components. This excessive drag will also reduce fuel economy.
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